SMART PRACTICE
About this good practice
“SMART PRACTICE” is supporting system of the EQ-Thinking Model, for developing value-creating partnerships between students and business or NGO’s communities, which combines “real-life” challenges and cases together with learning processes and individual / group experiences of the students. This challenges students to solve issues being faced by business or social organisations, generate ideas and create actionable projects or bring social impact to local community. The results include organisations receiving new ideas and insights, whilst the students benefit from developing entrepreneurial capabilities and future (social) business networks.
“Smart Practice” main elements are:
- Group work in interdisciplinary teams (4-6 persons), solving real challenging cases of organisations for a period of 2-3 months (it could be any of our 100 partner network: including Kaunas city municipality; best business companies; NGO’s; social institutions);
- Personal entrepreneurial competences development approach (Experience reflection);
- Individual and group mentoring and couching;
- Case solving using creative and project – based methods and techniques (“Design Thinking”; “Lego Serious Play”; “Experience Design”; “MethodKit” ect.).
Another important element is a strategic social partnership between the universities, businesses and local community, based on the long-term and directed efforts and attempts to solve different socio-economic, scientific or technological problems.
Expert opinion
The practice illustrates well a series of policies on good practices related to building an entrepreneurial spirit among young people as well as initiatives to encourage youth entrepreneurship (e.g. student companies, university spin-offs, simulation exercises, student hackathons). The topic is of utmost importance for the future competitiveness of our economy and addressed by several Interreg Europe projects.
Further examples of relevant practices are:
- Promoting entrepreneurship through supporting business programs for students during school education (START EASY project).
- The Entrepreneurial Talent Program (now called Hackathon Emprende) (Project: E-COOL)
- Open Innovation Platform "Demola Latvia (Project SKILLS+)
- Challenges & Competencies (project DEVISE)
For further insights on the topic, you might refer to the Youth entrepreneurship miniseries organised in May 2021 by the PLP. Recording are available on our website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/policylearning/news/11935/webinar-recordings-youth-entrepreneurship-miniseries/?no_cache=1&cHash=fa248d106f14d5723c13f6ba2ca5f1a8
Resources needed
- Budget ± 95.000 EUR / Y
- Costs linked to provide uni staff with expertise and know how, support with access to facilities and equipment.
- Salary and working costs related to mentoring, supervision teaching, training, admin.
- Costs linked to acquiring new methodologies, toolboxes, trainings.
Evidence of success
- Over 1000 students and 400 schoolchildren have participated in the programme. More than 120 business and social cases/ challenges were solved.
- Partnership network, consisting of more than 100 business companies, associated structures and social partners, was created.
- In 2018 “Entrepreneurship Academy” became national winner and among top 3 projects in EU in EUROPEAN ENTERPRISE PROMOTION AWARDS 2018.
- One of 51 good practice case studies on UNIVERSITY – BUSINESS COOPERATIONS” in EU
Potential for learning or transfer
“MINDED” organisation continues to share the SMART PRACTICE outcomes and know-how with other educational institutions, city municipalities and relevant stakeholders in Lithuania and abroad. The Model can be transferred to other environments regardless of the country, culture or age groups, time scope (it could vary from one month until 3 years, depending on the context). We are already implementing SMART PRACTICE by creating:
- curriculum for developing entrepreneurial competences;
- ecosystems to foster school pupils entrepreneurial mindset;
- platforms for social innovations in municipalities;
- organisation’s case solving solutions;
- programmes for business and startups creation, training and acceleration.
Guidelines to replicate SMART PRACTICE model already exist and can be requested from the Centre for Enterprise Practices.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Center for Enterprise practices, VYTAUTAS MAGNUS UNIVERSITY - MINDED